WCSM Education Trust receives £20,000 donation

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM) Education Trust has received a £20,000 donation to help fund its support of people at the start of their career in eye care.

Chairman of the WCSM Education Trust, Professor Chris Hull, said: “This funding will help us to continue our scheme and to promote the aims of the Trust, which are to advance study, knowledge and education in the field of optics for the public benefit, and particularly for the benefit of the visually impaired.”

The donation was made by David Burt, the former chairman, and Richard Wilshin and Ewan Page, fellow directors of the original Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS). 

Mr Wilshin explained that when the OCCS was first established, it was a not-for-profit organisation funded by donations from members working in optical practice.

“Since that time, the General Optical Council has assumed responsibility for handling optical consumer complaints and the scheme now works in a different way. Following the winding up of the original OCCS company, there was a final balance and we are pleased that the benefit of all surplus funds will in this way go back into supporting the optical profession,” he added.